VWF313: Designing and BuildingWorkflow Solutions for SharePoint

2007

Tim Huckaby

CEO, InterKnowlogy

Microsoft RD & MVP

About…

• InterKnowlogy (www.InterKnowlogy.com)● Tim Huckaby, CEO - (TimHuck@InterKnowlogy.com)

● Custom App Dev / Consulting / Software & Systems Engineering Firm headquartered in Carlsbad, CA

● Microsoft Gold Partner managed in SoCal and Redmond● Design, Architect, Build and Deploy enterprise class applications ● Industry Experts:

• 90% of the company is published• Microsoft .NET Application development for 7+ years!• Microsoft .NET Smart Client pioneers / industry leaders• Information Worker Solutions• Integration / Messaging, B2B / B2C, Wireless / Mobility • Microsoft BizTalk Web Services, Microsoft Active Directory, Security, SSO,

Authorization, Authentication• Solutions on the emerging Microsoft servers• Largest Client: Microsoft

Session Objectives And Key Takeaways

• Session Objective: ● Office workflow development in Microsoft Visual Studio 2005/2008● Windows SharePoint Services V3 & 2007 Microsoft Office system workflow

built on top of Windows Workflow Foundation platform● Workflow is a powerful tool for driving customer business processes● Microsoft Office InfoPath 2007 enables symmetric rich/reach form authoring

• Key Takeaways:● Windows Workflow Foundation is a framework for building

workflow into applications● A single workflow technology for Windows● WF has good integration into 2007 Office system & OSS● Solution Architecture is necessary

Agenda

• 5 Options for SharePoint Workflows• The business processes we will model• Describe the design, develop, debug

& deploy steps• Demos:

1. Implementing Extensible “canned” Workflows in SPS 2007 & Office 2007

2. Designing & Implementing Extensible Workflows for SPS 2007 in SharePoint Designer

3. Building, Implementing and deploying workflows for SharePoint & Office 2007 in VS.NET 2005 (and VS2008)

4. Building SharePoint Workflows with K2

Tim Huckaby

CEO – InterKnowlogy

Microsoft Regional Director

Microsoft MVP – .NET

Using WF in SharePoint 2007 & 2007 Office System

Single workflow technology for Windows● Base for Microsoft products and ISV/customer solutions● One technology for human and system workflow

• A framework not a server product or application● An extensible framework based on Microsoft .NET● Ships as Part of .NET 3.0, which ships in Windows

• Make workflow mainstream for .NET developers● Strong workflow partner & solution ecosystem ● Reach mainstream application developer

Windows Workflow Foundation Vision:Windows Workflow Foundation Vision:Deliver best-in-class workflow platform & tools for Microsoft products and partner/customer ecosystem

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Microsoft Visual Studio and workflow SDK

Office SharePoint Designer workflows

Out-of-the-Box Solutions(with customization)

Application Task and Issue Tracking

Routing & ApprovalReviewApprovalSignature collectionEast Asian workflow

Office Server FeaturesList ModerationPublishing ProcessDocument Expiration

Document ProcessesSpec Review Weekly Status Report

Custom Tracking AppsService RequestsAsset Tracking

Custom Form ActionsEmail NotificationException Handling

LOB Integration

Purchase Order Processing

Product lifecycle management

Workflow Scenarios

Tim Huckaby

CEO – InterKnowlogy

Microsoft Regional Director

Microsoft MVP – .NET

Using SharePoint Designer to Build Custom Workflows

VS.NET SPS WF Development Steps

1. Model workflow in Microsoft Visual Studio

2. Create and bind Microsoft Office InfoPath forms

3. Deploy to Microsoft Office SharePoint Server

4. Debug the running workflow (if necessary)

Model & Building Workflows In Visual Studio 2005

• Prerequisites:● Office SharePoint Server 2007

• .NET 3.0 Runtime Components● Microsoft Visual Studio 2005 / 2008 Extensions for

Windows Workflow Foundation ● Microsoft Windows Software Development Kit

(SDK) Microsoft Windows Vista • Create project of type “SharePoint Sequential Workflow Library”• Create the workflow

Create and Bind InfoPath FormsTypes of InfoPath forms in SPS Workflows

• Association form● User adds workflow to a list● For setting options on WF

• Initiation form● For manual workflow start● Collects workflow parameters

• Task completion form● A user to edit a task from WF● User edits or enters data

• Modification form● Linked off WF status page● Can modify in-flight WF

Create and Bind InfoPath FormsInfoPath forms are used in these places

Hosting Environment Hosting Environment

Create and Bind InfoPath FormsSharePoint hosts the InfoPath form

InfoPath Form Templates

Hosting Environment Hosting Environment

Create and Bind InfoPath FormsData from SharePoint is passed in

InfoPath Form Templates

SharePoint object

_________

_________

_________

Hosting Environment Hosting Environment

Create and Bind InfoPath FormsSubmit the form, saves data to SharePoint

InfoPath Form Templates

SharePoint object

_________

_________

_________

Hosting Environment Hosting Environment

Create and Bind InfoPath FormsSharePoint starts the workflow

InfoPath Form Templates

SharePoint object

_________

_________

_________

SharePoint -> Task/WF HostSharePoint -> Task/WF Host

SharePoint Task•instructions =“Please do this.”

Task data as xml

Create and Bind InfoPath Forms Pushing data from WF task into InfoPath

InfoPath Task FormInfoPath Task Form

<z:row xmlns:z=“#RowSetSchema”

ows_MetaInfo_instructions=“”/>

Deploy to SharePoint Server

• Generate Metadata files● Feature.XML● Workflow.XML

• Install/activate the “feature”• IISReset• Associate workflow to the list/library

Debug the Running Workflow

• Visual Studio running on server machine

• Open the workflow in Visual Studio

• Attach to all of the W3WP Processes

• Start the workflow

Tim Huckaby

CEO – InterKnowlogy

Microsoft Regional Director

Microsoft MVP – .NET

Workflows built in VS.NET

WWW.K2.COM

EXTENDING SHAREPOINT WORKFLOW WITH K2 BLACKPEARL

SharePoint Workflow K2 blackpearl

Data auditing Available via SharePoint metadata and document library/list versioning

Workflow designers have the ability to specify data auditing options at design time. All audit information is available in the K2 Reporting environment

Process auditing Available via the “Activity Duration” or “Cancellation & Error” reports found on the list or library where the workflow is deployed

Available within the K2 Reporting environment in the out-of-the-box reports provided with K2 blackpearl as well as available as data in ad-hoc, user designed reports

Versioning Versions of the workflow can be stored per document library or list. Options can be configured to set the workflow version used for new instances as well as active instances.

A new version of the process is automatically stored each time it is deployed. Versions can be managed via the K2 Management Console which allows rollback to any previous version of the workflow.

State management State information will be maintained in the document library or list that the workflow is associated with.

State is managed within the K2 blackpearl server and data is available within the K2 Reporting environment.

Chaining workflows Via Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) custom development.

K2 blackpearl provides the functionality natively within the Inter-Process Communication event wizard. The IPC wizard provides the ability to call a sub-process synchronously or asynchronously

Actions spanning across multiple sites

Limited to the current site Support for actions across SharePoint sites, site collections, servers and farms

Content type association

Not supported Fully supported

Access to originator information

Access to author of the library or list item, but not the user who started the workflow if different

Out-of-the-box access to workflow originator information, including the originator’s manager

Escalations Via Windows Workflow Foundation (WF) custom development.

Provided via out-of-the-box escalation wizards, including email, redirection, go to another step, custom code

Task list Includes an “Assign a Task” activity that can be used to assign a task to a user within a MOSS task list. MOSS task lists are shared among all users so users with the correct permissions can act on anyone’s task

Tasks are available via the K2 Task List or K2 Task List web part. Task lists are specific to an individual user so users will only see tasks that they are allowed to action.

Host server Provided via Windows SharePoint Services. The workflow engine runs in process with SharePoint and cannot be separated out onto a dedicated workflow server

Provided via the K2 blackpearl Host server. Servers can be dedicated to workflow transactions only and can be set up as a farm of server dedicated specifically to workflow processing

Process Capacity Suggested limit of 15 running workflow processes per SharePoint server

No set limitations per K2 server.

Tim Huckaby

CEO – InterKnowlogy

Microsoft Regional Director

Microsoft MVP – .NET

K2 Workflows

Call to Action

• WF plugs a large hole in the platform that used to be hard because it had to be built by hand

• WF provides a design time environment that makes it easy to build even the most complex workflows

• The 2007 Office system and SharePoint 2007 WF integration is fantastic; consequently, integrated solutions are easy to design and build

For More Information…

WorkFlow on the .NET 3.0 Developer Center:http://msdn2.microsoft.com/en-us/netframework/aa663328.aspx

Downloads:● Visual Studio 2005 extensions for .NET Framework 3.0 (Windows Workflo

w Foundation)● Hands-on Labs for Windows® Workflow Foundation● Experience the 2007 Microsoft Office system● Microsoft® Windows® Software Development Kit for Windows Vista™ an

d .NET Framework 3.0 Runtime Components● Windows SharePoint Services Software Development Kit (SDK)

Tim Huckaby, InterKnowlogy

• More info on InterKnowlogy:● www.InterKnowlogy.com

• Contact me: Tim Huckaby● E-mail: TimHuck@InterKnowlogy.com

or v-TimHu@Microsoft.com● Phone: 760-444-8640● Blog: http://blogs.InterKnowlogy.com/TimHuckaby

• About Tim Huckaby● CEO, InterKnowlogy● Microsoft® Regional Director – Southern California● Microsoft® .NET Partner Advisory Council Founder / Member● Microsoft® MVP - .NET● Microsoft® Surface Partner Advisory Council● INETA Speaker – International .NET Users Group Association● Windows and .NET Magazine Advisory Board Member● .NET Developers Journal Magazine Advisory Board Member● Author / Speaker

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